


I'm Not A Princess (A Lot of Anger In It)

by girlwithouttime



Category: Persona 5
Genre: A Combination of Game and Anime Canon, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Any Similarities to P5R are Completely Coincidental, Canon-Typical Violence, Characters Added As They Appear - Freeform, Gen, I Had The First Few Chapters Written Before P5R Was Even Hinted At, I Like Hifumi So Now She's A Phantom Thief, I'm Messing With Some of the Canon Order of Events So Be Careful, Spoilers For The Entire Game
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-27
Updated: 2019-07-31
Packaged: 2020-07-20 16:09:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,209
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19995007
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/girlwithouttime/pseuds/girlwithouttime
Summary: Hifumi Togo doesn't cheat at Shogi. She doesn't! But the rumors say otherwise. Meanwhile, the Phantom Thieves of Hearts realize that it's not just corrupt adults who can hold Palaces in their hearts...





	1. Tension

_June 26th_  
  
“Thank you for meeting with me. My apologies for messaging you on such short notice.”  
  
“It’s no problem,” Ren said with a smile. “We are friends, after all.”  
  
“Yes…” Yusuke looked down at his coffee. He looked like he wanted to continue, but hesitated when Sojiro came out from behind the counter.  
  
“Alright, you two, I’m closing Leblanc for the afternoon. I’ll be back later. Don’t cause any trouble while I’m gone.”  
  
“Aye aye, sir,” Ren intoned.  
  
Sojiro rolled his eyes and waved as he exited the café. Yusuke waited for the second chime of the bell above the door. He took a deep breath, then sighed.  
  
“I must admit I wasn’t quite honest about why I wanted to meet with you. This isn’t about my art, or Madarame. I wanted to talk alone. Is Morgana around?”  
  
Ren leaned forward, resting his face on his hand. “He’s upstairs, asleep. Will that be a problem?”  
  
Yusuke spent a moment studying Sayuri before speaking. Whatever this was, he was serious about it. “No, that’s fine. I’m just… not quite sure how serious this matter is. I don’t want to get the others riled up about a matter that might not mean anything, especially since we already have Kaneshiro to worry about. To be honest, even I’m not sure why I feel so conflicted about this.” He cupped his hands around his mug, gripping it tighter. He still hadn’t drunk any coffee after his initial sip.  
  
Ren raised an eyebrow. He had a few questions already. But sometimes the best thing to say to somebody was nothing at all. Instead, he folded his hands in his lap and waited.  
  
Yusuke raised his coffee cup to his lips, but suddenly set it back down. Yusuke met Ren’s eyes for the first time since he’d walked in. “This happened shortly after the conversation we had about Hifumi Togo, the shogi player that goes to Kosei. In one of my studio classes I was examining the MetaNav under the guise of looking for references. Of course, I do think that Mementos would be valuable to study after our many excursions there. The congregation of Shadows and swirling masses as a dark reflection of our—”  
  
Ren held up a hand. “Yusuke. Let’s discuss that later.”  
  
Yusuke blinked in surprise. “Ah, yes. As I was examining the app, a few students nearby were gossiping about one of our peers’ upcoming attempts to court her. But then… well, allow me to demonstrate.” He pulled out his phone and brought up the MetaNav. “Hifumi Togo, second-year at Kosei High.”  
  
There was a flash that seemed to emanate from the phone and travel around the room. For a moment, the world seemed dimmer, and Ren’s glasses felt wrong, too heavy for his face. And then—  
  
**“Candidate found.”**  
  
Ren readjusted his glasses. “Oh, shit.”  
  
“Indeed. To think that a student could have a Palace… I don’t understand what sort of corruption she could possibly hold in her heart. It’s completely different from any of the targets that the Phantom Thieves have gone after so far. I shudder to think of the sort of wrongdoings that could cause this to arise. But because this case is so different… I wanted to ask you, our leader, about it. If it’s possible… could you help me investigate the situation?”  
  
Morgana hopped up onto the counter. “I think you should do it, Joker. If there’s a chance this girl has a Palace, it’s worth checking out.”  
  
Yusuke jumped. “I didn’t hear you come down.”  
  
Morgana lifted his head haughtily. “A Master Thief is a master of stealth.”  
  
Ren raised an eyebrow. “And how long have you been eavesdropping on our conversation, Morgana?”  
  
Morgana’s tail twitched. “I wasn’t eavesdropping, really! I woke up when the MetaNav had a reaction.”  
  
Ren reached over to scratch behind his ears. “Oh? Is that so?”  
  
Yusuke looked sheepish. “Truly, I didn’t mean anything by my leaving you out of the conversation, Morgana. I just wanted to consult Ren before bringing this up with any of the others.”  
  
“You’re forgiven, Yusuke. Tactically, it’s important to consider whether a battle is worth fighting before undertaking it. A little reconnaissance is—urgh, Ren, stop scratching at my chin while I’m trying to talk!”  
  
Ren held up his hands in surrender. He’d gotten Yusuke to smile, just a little. The decision was easy after hearing both of them out. He pushed back his hair and gave a signature Joker smirk. “Okay, let’s do it.”


	2. Gaze in Fascination So Hard

_June 27 th_

With her rook there, it’d be easy to capture the enemy’s knight… But no, she’d easily be overwhelmed by enemy forces. No soldier of hers should face such insurmountable odds. For the Shadow Sword Trinity to be complete, she’d need to hold off on advancing the bishop. A general, then?

“Togo-san?”

She looked up. A boy with scruffy hair and big glasses had come up to her. Not another one… or, wait—had she been muttering to herself again? But no, he knew her name, and he wasn’t wearing the Kosei uniform. There were enough shogi books in her bag that she could pass off as textbooks. If she felt uncomfortable, she could just pretend she had studying to do.

“Um… yes…? I’m Hifumi Togo…” She already wanted the conversation to be over.

“Playing by yourself?”

“I’m doing some research, so… Experimenting with new tactics is best to do alone in a place like this.” Wait, that sounded silly. “…Well, I suppose that doesn’t sound terribly plausible to someone who doesn’t play… Don’t mind me; please go ahead and pray.” The church had become less and less of a sanctuary since she’d become popular with boys.

Instead of leaving, the boy sat down on the pew. She finally met his eyes. In his gaze wasn’t the desperation of a lovestruck youth, but something else… Something more calculating… But she had work to do.

“Yes …? Can I help you?”

There was no hesitation in his voice. “Can you teach me shogi?”

Hahahaha! As if it’s that simple! “…Huh? Um, you don’t necessarily have to learn from me, you know… There are other options… such as playing online.”

Shifting, he bowed to her. The confidence in his expression was still there, but softer. There weren’t enough people in the church for it to be embarrassing, but it wouldn’t be right to just brush him off.

“…Sorry, I just can’t.” This wasn’t amateur hour.

…What was she doing? She scanned the area nearby for the priest, but didn’t see him. That was good. He’d… disapprove of her behavior. He’d understand, but disapprove. “You should try making more friends your own age,” he told her once. Her father would’ve said the same thing. Instead of the bishop, she moved her lance, maybe a little too forcefully. The boy hid it well, but he had jumped a little at the clack of the piece on the board. She glanced at him again.

“Well then… Um… so, you like shogi?”

“I admire you.”

She nearly choked. Who said something like that? But a queen must show no fear, no hesitation. If she couldn’t even respond to someone so determined, what would she do on the battlefield? Of course, confidence is easy to project in your head.

“Huh…? Oh, um… thank you very much.” Was she blushing? She hoped not. She stared hard at her shoes, resisting the urge to play with her hair. There was no time to be childish. Hifumi met the boy’s gaze. He had that same expression. It slightly resembled… amusement? Curiosity? No… she wasn’t in the right mindset to analyze him. She needed to feel more composed. More in command of her thoughts. Conversations are difficult to navigate, but shogi is… straightforward. Not any less complex, but better to manage. This boy… could be useful.

“Um… OK, just a quick game then. Twenty seconds per move… if that’s alright with you.”

He smiled, like he’d gotten something he wanted. It wasn’t unfriendly, but something about it felt… prideful. Smug, almost.

“Fine with me.”

She carefully reset the board. “The challenger in shogi is usually the jeweled king,” she explained, holding up the piece in question. “Let’s go through the different pieces as we play… I’ll start.”

The match was fast-paced and cutthroat. This novice, this fool thought he had a chance at besting Lady Hifumi of the honorable Togo Kingdom? He may have been quick to learn the pieces’ moves and quick to react, but this was a cakewalk. Even if she hadn’t used the standard setup, she doubted he could put a real dent in her forces. She could hear them revel in the slaughter of his pathetic wyrm.

“… So this is your skill level, huh? The dragon which governs the blue sky has fallen into my hands. How do you intend to survive this?” She slammed down her finishing blow. To the boy’s credit, this time he didn’t flinch. “Check! …It’s checkmate no matter how you look at it. Please concede.”

His gaze was still determined. He shook his head. “I can still keep going.”

What arrogance! What naiveté! She could laugh, if she didn’t want to demoralize him too badly. “To concede is an act of admitting that you have lost, with grace. If you aspire to become a shogi player, I recommend that you take your study of the game to heart.” The truth was probably painful to hear, but important nonetheless. He frowned before bowing his head. Victory, as always, tasted warm and sweet. And though the boy seemed disappointed, he didn’t seem bitter. He looked… almost more pleased than before the match? How interesting.

“Thank you for playing… Well then, that will be all for today… If it’s alright with you, may I request another match sometime?”

His head snapped back up, surprised. “You want me to come back?” Had he expected her to give up on him?

It was hard to put her reasoning into words. “I feel… a gambler’s spirit emanating from you. Which is strange, since your style of play is that of a complete novice…”

He smiled. “You were different, too.”

Oh no. Oh no no no. “Oh, I-I’m sorry…” What had she said this time? He didn’t seem like he was laughing at her, so… it was probably fine. He wanted to learn shogi, and if he didn’t want to come back, he probably wouldn’t. “However, I will instruct you under one condition… You become my playing partner so that I can research new moves. Is that agreeable?”

“Sounds good.” And there he was, back to being carefree… he could change his behavior at the drop of a hat.

“Thank you very much… Well then, it’s a deal. I’ll teach you how to play, and you’ll assist me with my new moves. OK, let’s end here for today. …I shall see you again, if the fates allow.”

He smiled again as he got up to stretch. All the better to throw her newfound rival off his game.

A bit after he left, she packed up to leave. Before she could, Father Kato approached the pew.

“Good evening, Hifumi.”

“Ah, good evening.”

“I saw some of your match with that boy earlier… is he another shogi friend?”

Hifumi’s fingers found her hairclip. It was smooth and cool to the touch. “Well, I’m not quite sure yet… He’s a complete novice. But he does seem determined.”

“I’m glad to hear that,” he said, smiling. “I just hope you won’t forget about your matches with me.”

“Oh no, of course not, Father! I could never do that to one of my shogi friends… never.”

“I’m only kidding, Hifumi… Still, it’s good to see you with a friend your age. Please, it’s getting late. Let me walk you to the corner.”

Walking home, Hifumi could see the moon between the buildings. It was already waning… She loved the moon on cloudless nights, since it cast a calm glow on the neighborhood. The light was cool, yet comforting. The gray of her shadow was lost to her home as she let herself inside. Only the kitchen light was on, and on the table was a note from her mother:

_My shogi star! I made Hamburg steak for dinner. Since you’re out practicing tonight, it’s in the fridge. Please be sure to eat before going to bed! You need to keep up your strength for your upcoming interview. A healthy body is a beautiful body, and we can’t disappoint your fans!_

Her interview wasn’t for another two weeks. Hifumi barely had any fans. And what was so healthy about Hamburg steak, anyway? Still, her mom could make anything but katsu curry delicious. She thought more about the boy she met tonight. She saw drive in him. She saw potential. She… didn’t even ask for his name. The realization hit her like a sudden check. She didn’t know his name! He never introduced himself. As soon as the match started, he was her rival, and afterwards her mind was too focused on her victory to even consider asking. And, of course, he knew her name already—she was “famous.” This was the worst possible outcome.

“How embarrassing,” she muttered.

Boys were too troublesome.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Looks like Hifumi's got a competitive streak, huh? She's keeping it to herself, for now... I've tried playing shogi and it's pretty difficult... don't expect a play-by-play of the matches, haha. I also don't know much about Catholic churches, so apologies if anything feels off. The dialogue is straight from the rank 1 event, since that was easier than rewriting the whole thing. Father Kato's name is based off of Hifumi Kato, the shogi player Hifumi herself is named after. I thought it'd be fun, and couldn't remember if he had a canon name :)  
> Thanks for reading~

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone! This is my first time posting to AO3, so apologies for any formatting issues. Special thanks to my friends (you know who you are) for beta-reading. No update schedule, but feel free to subscribe if you think this is interesting!!  
> Like I said in the tags, this fic will have spoilers for the entire game! That's because I plan to essentially rewrite the game mid-Kaneshiro onwards. If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment~


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